Visioning Tomorrow

The ways of the modern world are increasingly extreme. We see this in weather, politics, economics, etc. More up and down, black and white, yes and no… less middle ground. But that’s not necessarily bad news..

As I wrote in my latest book, “This is exactly what most of the prophecies from different traditions predicted .... The promise was that we would see extreme polarization as a precursor to awakening, because that’s the nature of relative reality. Consciousness must move to the illusory extreme of what it is not before it can actualize its opposite, the truth of what it is. That’s the awakening impulse in action.”

When people don’t understand this process – and most don’t – there’s a resistant reaction to polarization, accompanied by attempts to narrow the gap and find more middle ground. This makes sense in theory but it’s not what the evolving universe has in mind. In fact, what I’ve termed “the awakening impulse” has no interest in improving an imbalanced status quo, or in human survival at a stagnating level of stuck consciousness. The priority – happening everywhere except where we humans fight it - is to continue expanding awareness. Transformation, not compromise.

In our polarized human experience, modern opinions become absolute, with the seemingly unavoidable commandment to align with one or the other. Here’s one of my favorites:

“Technology will save us.” or “Technology will destroy us.”

We see this portrayed in films of dystopian despair. In fact, it’s rare to see any depiction of a future world where technology isn’t grossly destructive, even when “tomorrow” seems outwardly peaceful, like in the recent Jeff Bridges film, The Giver. Yes, that future scenario was peaceful but a rebellious element arose, intended to free citizens from the yoke of spiritless conformity. And we, the viewers, agreed! Who wants peace at the price of individuality? In other cases (like the Jodie Foster film Elysium), there are no redeeming features except for the wealthy who enjoy a Utopian existence off-world, while the poor majority struggle to survive on a devastated earth. Here are two recent film examples portraying these polarized extremes but, ultimately, both were dysfunctional. Who has imagined a future where technology has helped humanity become peaceful and empowered? Let me know if you come across even a single one.

Over and over again, technology shows up as the villain. But here’s something interesting. Apparently, research done by biomedical engineers at the University of Minnesota, recently published in the scientific journal TECHNOLOGY, demonstrates that “people who practice yoga and meditation long term can learn to control a computer with their minds faster and better than people with little or no yoga or meditation experience.” 1 Fascinating… people controlling technology through meditation. That suggests a novel remedy for enslavement by technology!

From the study itself: “Brain-computer interface (BCI) systems allow users to interact with their environment by bypassing muscular control to tap directly into the users’ thoughts.” 2 Well, this opens up some interesting possibilities. What if a sustainable future involved detailed cooperation between human and artificial intelligence? What if our brains were much more capable than we imagined, or, what if they could become more capable?

I’ve utilized sound technology in High Tech Meditation® for almost thirty years to improve brain function. I’ve experienced this constructive relationship with technology first hand and I’ve seen positive results for thousands of users. My conclusion? We’ve got to keep up. Technology will advance, there’s no doubt about that. What about us?

Most of us have settled for life run by busy minds, operating primarily on Beta frequencies, a fragmented state sometimes described as the “monkey mind.” Beginning meditators develop an alternative; they become able to experience bursts and pulsations of Alpha frequencies, helping them feel simultaneously more relaxed and focused, even mildly euphoric and in a slightly altered state of consciousness.

As brain function continues to balance, the next level down is Theta, where frequencies generate creativity, visions, and intuition. Experienced meditators can access this level and the result is a state of abiding well-being. The deepest level of brain activity involves Delta frequencies and corresponds to a “beyond the mind” experience, with feelings of deep peace and contentment, timelessness, unity, and the ability to feel happy for no reason other than being alive.

High Tech Meditation, where brain-balancing audio programs are used to drop the meditator down from Alpha all the way to Delta, provide just one compelling example of how technology can improve human experience. Imagine a future that includes a wide range of technologies that do just that, without enslaving us or eliminating our emotions.

Such a future where humanity and technology serve each other in an empowering symbiotic relationship is more than imagination, thousands of us have been experiencing this for many years. Surely the process of envisioning a harmonious tomorrow gets a kick start when we abandon both polarized positions – technology won’t destroy us and it won’t save us – not to find some sort of artificial balance in the middle but to embrace their marriage, with the potential to conceive and birth Humanity 2.0.

About the Author

Master Charles Cannon is a modern spiritual teacher, founder of Synchronicity Foundation for Modern Spirituality, and developer of the High-Tech Meditation and Holistic Lifestyle experience. His work over the past 40 years has helped transform the lives of millions worldwide who respect him as one of the truly innovative spiritual teachers of our time.

Will Wilkinson has been a professional collaborative writer for decades. He has two of his own non-fiction books In print, a novel on the verge and two more non-fiction books in final edit stages. Meanwhile, he collaborates with contemporary wisdom keepers, helping them discover and refine their voice.

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Synchronicity Foundation for Modern Spirituality is a non-profit organization. High-Tech Meditation® and Modern Spirituality® are Registered Trademarks of Synchronicity Foundation, Inc. All rights reserved.